Reflections on an Unprecedented Year
Read the letters below from Novant Health and foundation leadership as we look back on the heroism and hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team members braved every unexpected challenge with open hearts and ready hands, leading to extraordinary tales of problems solved, unforgettable moments, fearless resolve and lives transformed.
2020: A Year in Review
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2020 Philanthropic Summary
Together, we fought a pandemic. Together, we gave hope. Together, we cared. Together, we grew. Together, we took a stand.
In addition to the community supporting our team, our team has supported one another once again through Giving. Serving. Together., our fundraising campaign for team members, despite the hardships of 2020. Team members gave more than $1.2 million to support each other and local nonprofits.
Celebrating Remarkable Stories
Join us in celebrating our healthcare heroes and the remarkable impact made by Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center team members in 2020, right here in our community.
‘You Fight for Gabriel.’
Gabe was born on Jan. 12, 2012, via emergency C-section. Stephanie saw him for the first time four days later in the NICU at Hemby Children’s Hospital.
‘When I come to work at Novant Health, they see a nurse. They don’t see a Black nurse’
When Angela Davis was 18 years old, she met a nurse who changed her life. She was living in Sumter, South Carolina, and had just given birth to her first child.
‘We’re here to help’
Kip Clark once delivered a baby in the front seat of a Honda Accord. When you work in public safety, stories like that are par for the course.
‘Together, we can win this race’
When Judy Caswell was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in May 2016, she couldn’t believe it.
‘This Is My Home.’
On Jan. 25, 2021, Grygorii was diagnosed with stage 3 Burkitt Lymphoma.
‘This is a human push’
From as early as she can remember, Ophelia Garmon-Brown, MD, has wanted to be a doctor. Her inspiration stemmed from personal tragedy: She lost her father to encephalitis at the age of 2.
‘She Was a Giver.’
The day before Ale Skinkle died, she paid a visit to the infusion center at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.
‘Our humanity is being challenged’
A decade before the COVID-19 crisis, Alex Funderburg, chair of the board for the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation, found himself on the front lines of a different and much more personal healthcare battle.
‘One of the scariest things you can ever hear’
Rochelle Rivas is the mother of twin daughters, one of whom was born with a hole in her heart.
‘Knowledge is power’
Breast cancer survivor Armanda O’Leary shares her story in hopes of inspiring others to provide mammograms to women in need.
‘I want to be part of the change’
Shannel Newton believes serving the community can change your life.